Field Visit
Date 26 April 2017
Event ID 1047668
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1047668
The remains of a rectangular enclosure, probably of medieval date, stand on the summit of Traprain Law, its SW side partly obscured by a cairn (NT57SE 87), itself overlain by a walker’s shelter (NT57SE 176). Only the NE part of the enclosure is visible, measuring 17m in breadth from NW to SE by at least 15m in length over a wall reduced to grass-grown footings up to 1m in thickness and 0.5m in height. Early surveyors noted the presence of this enclosure and Gerhard Bersu opened a trench to explore the feature in 1947, recovering Roman and medieval pottery (Close-Brooks 1983, 213). A re-excavation of this trench in 1999 during the Traprain Law Summit Project (HES Archive: MS726/177, 26-30) recovered medieval and prehistoric pottery, and a possible quern fragment in secondary deposits. A slab-lined feature measuring 0.7m from E to W by 0.2m internally was interpreted as a curial cist and therefore evidence of a possible Early Christian cemetery. This suggestion should be treated with caution due to the lack of corroborating evidence, including any evidence of human remains or grave-goods, as well as the vague nature of the historical references (Curle 1915, 139-140).
A stretch of bank 2m thick and 0.1m high extends from a point close to the E corner of the enclosure 17m SE towards a pond before turning SW and continuing for about another 20m. A small section of this bank was excavated in 1999 during the Traprain Law Summit Project (HES Archive: MS 726/177, Trench 3), revealing the fragmentary remains of a wall.
Visited by HES Survey and Recording (GFG, AM) 26 April 2017.
(TPR47)
